“There are double cellular sides between the belt and upper decks; the main bulkheads are carried up high above water; hatches and openings are trunked up and protected by coffer-dams. In short, every possible precaution is taken to subdivide into compartments, and thus limit the spaces to which water can find access when the outer sides are penetrated or shattered, as well as to facilitate the work of stopping temporarily shot-holes in the sides. “Now, without in the least intending to discredit the work of the French designers, I have to state that no corresponding or equal precautions have been taken in the portions of their ships lying above the belt-decks. And the absence of these features in the French ships is a great relative advantage to the English ships. Of course there is nothing to hinder the French from imitating our practice, but they are content to take the risks involved in a simpler construction, and in so doing they show their practical disbelief in the doctrine of armor-protected stability. I am aware that some eminent authorities do not concur with this view, and maintain that stability and buoyancy should be guaranteed by armor. To this point I will revert hereafter, but for the present I am content to say that, as between the French ships and the _Admiral_ class, the most serious risks of damage by gun-fire in action are of the same kind, and, practically, are not affected by the shortening of the armor-belts in the English ships. “Next I would refer to the differences which are undoubtedly involved in shortening the belts of the English ships. In the first place, by dispensing with the side armor towards the extremities a very considerable saving is effected in the weight and the cost of the armor fitted to the ships. Mr. Barnaby has recently given an illustration of this, where a ship, in other respects unchanged, has to be increased from 10,000 to 11,000 tons in displacement in order to carry the shallow armor-belt to the ends. In the _Collingwood_ herself quite as large a proportionate increase of size would be involved in having a thick armor-belt from stem to stern. This saving in weight and cost of armor might, of course, be purchased too dearly, if dispensing with the armor involved possibly fatal risks to the ship. However the result may be attained, there is universal agreement that a ship-of-war should have her buoyancy, stability, and trim guaranteed as far as possible against the effects of damage in action. Now, in the _Admiral_ class this matter was very carefully investigated before the design was approved. In order to prevent derangement of the trim of the vessels by penetration of the light sides above the protective deck at one end, arrangements were made in the design by means of which water can be introduced into the spaces occupied by coal-bunkers, etc., before the ships go into action.